David Caesar spent several years trying to get Prime Mover produced. When he first wrote the screenplay, he wrote it with Ben Mendelsohn in mind as the lead. By the time he secured funding, Mendelsohn had aged out of the role, and Caesar built up the role of Johnnie specifically for Mendelsohn.
Ben Mendelsohn claims he landed the role of Robin in A Place Beyond the Pines because Ryan Gosling had seen Prime Mover and wanted to work with him.